畀（接受者）

To (Recipient)

Level 2Sounds Like bei2

Use 畀 (bei2) after a verb and its object to show who is receiving something. It functions like the English word 'to' in 'I gave a book to him.'

How It Works

The word 畀 (bei2) means 'to give,' but it also functions as a marker for the recipient (like 'to' in English).

1. Word Order
For most verbs of transfer, Cantonese places the recipient at the end of the phrase. However, the verb 畀 (to give) itself is flexible: you can say 畀錢佢 (bei2 cin2 keoi5) or 畀佢錢 (bei2 keoi5 cin2).

2. Common Verbs
This pattern is used with verbs involving transfer, such as:

  • 寄 (gei3) - to mail
  • 送 (sung3) - to give as a gift
  • 賣 (maai6) - to sell
  • 傳 (cyun4) - to pass

3. The 'Tell' Construction
When telling someone information, Cantonese uses a specific frame: 講畀 (Recipient) 聽.
Example: 講畀我聽 (gong2 bei2 ngo5 teng1) - 'Tell me' (literally: 'speak give me listen').

4. Aspect Markers
If you use 咗 (zo2) to show a completed action, it usually attaches to the main verb; you may also hear it after 畀.
Example: 我送咗禮物畀佢 (ngo5 sung3 zo2 lai5 mat6 bei2 keoi5) - 'I gave a gift to him'.

Examples (5)

  1. 我寄咗封信畀你。

    I mailed a letter to you.

    Word by Word: I mail [past] [classifier] letter to you.

    Here, 畀 (bei2) introduces 'you' as the recipient of the letter.

  2. 唔該傳個波畀我！

    Please pass the ball to me!

    Word by Word: Please pass [classifier] ball to me!

    畀 (bei2) follows the object 'ball' (個波 go3 bo1) to show the direction of the pass.

  3. 佢送咗份禮物畀女朋友。

    He gave a gift to his girlfriend.

    Word by Word: He give [past] [classifier] gift to girl friend.

    The recipient 'girlfriend' (女朋友 neoi5 pang4 jau5) is placed at the very end after 畀 (bei2).

  4. 我想買件衫畀阿媽。

    I want to buy a piece of clothing for Mom.

    Word by Word: I want buy [classifier] clothes for Mom.

    畀 (bei2) can also mean 'for' when buying or doing something for a recipient.

  5. 你可唔可以攞杯水畀我呀？

    Can you bring a cup of water to me?

    Word by Word: You can [not] can take [classifier] water to me [particle]?

    Even in questions, the recipient marker 畀 (bei2) stays after the object.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting 畀 before the verb, the way Mandarin puts 給 before it.

    Different Meaning我畀你寄一封信。
    我寄一封信畀你。

    This is a good sentence, but 畀 (bei2) before the verb means 'let': 'I let you mail a letter.' To mail a letter to someone, put 畀 and the person after the verb or after the object: 我寄一封信畀你, or 我寄畀你一封信.

  • Putting 咗 after the object instead of after the verb.

    我寄信咗畀佢。
    我寄咗信畀佢。

    咗 (zo2) follows a verb, not a noun, so it cannot come after 信 (seon3). Put it after the action verb 寄 (gei3), as in the right sentence. You may also hear it after 畀: 寄信畀咗佢.

  • Forgetting the 'listen' particle when telling someone something.

    我講畀佢。
    我講畀佢聽。

    When using the verb 講 (gong2 - to tell), Cantonese usually requires the phrase 講畀...聽 (gong2 bei2... teng1), literally 'speak give him listen'.

How It Connects

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畀（接受者）Level 2To (Recipient)

Learn This First

To understand how to mark a recipient with '畀', you first need to know the basic verb 'to give' (畀). Since this pattern often describes completed actions (like 'mailed' or 'gave'), familiarity with the perfective marker '咗' is helpful. Finally, understanding basic word order is essential because the '畀 + recipient' phrase typically follows the main verb and its object.

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